8700c as a modem and associated charges...
 

Hello everyone,
I recently swithed from my horrible Nextel 7520 pocket brick to a nice new 8700c on Cingular which not only gets better coverage and better speed but can actually be carried in my pocket. Needless to say, I'm thrilled with it so far.

My biggest reason for the switch was that I could use this phone as a modem for my laptop. I am a consultant and I hate paying for the internet in the airports or anywhere else for that matter. So, fo this it works great.

So far I haven't noticed any charges beyond my unlimted data usage plan. I asked the sales and technical support folks and they both told me it was fine to use the phone this way and that it would be covered under the unlimted usage plan. I haven't been charged for it yet that I can tell and I have been using it a ton. I noticed a pervious post saying that there was an additional charge for this. Can anyone verify that? I believe I am a cingular Orange cusotmer if that makes any difference.

Thanks,
Ryan

I get charged
 

At my firm's rate of .0048/kb. I think you get charged unless you buy a data plan for modem use on top of the BB plan. Modem use on Cingular Blue, and I think Orange is the same, is not covered under the BB plan. That is for email and internet only.

Yeah, I asked them about that and they said the unlimited plan covered it. I haven't seen any charges and I definitely used it last month. I guess I'm either lucky or I'll just be really really unhappy when the charges do eventually come through.

I guess that would be a completely different question. If I only use it to browse the internet with my laptop but not to download anything that I actually store, is it covered under the BB plan for that? Are they somehow different in terms of charges.

Here is what my bill summary looks like for my data usage...



Rate Plan: Nation 1350 with Rollover View Detail



Text/Instant Messaging 0 11 0 0
SMS PPU ALL2 $0.1MSG/$0.2MO INTL
Internet & Downloads* Unlimited 0.0KB Unlimited 0.0KB

GPRS BB RETAIL ALL1 UNLIMITED

*Data usage is measured in kilobytes and reflects an estimate of the usage since your last billing cycle.

bump...

Have you heard anymore on this? We are looking at rolling out 8700s in our department to replace the need for a BB and wireless card. How has your experience using it as a modem been?

I have been trying to set up my 8700 as a modem and have failed thus far. I have a voice plan along with unlimited BB service. I contacted Cingular and they informed me the "unlimited" only pertained to my BB and NOT to a laptop tethered to it. Therfore, they provided no assistance. I have resolved myself to the fact my 8700 will not work. That being said, as I travel around the country I intend to try to connect and see if being in a different market will solve my problem.

How do you guys attach the 8700 to a laptop? And how is the speed? I assume that it uses the laptop's internal modem at 56700?

Anyone connect the BB 8700c to a MAC yet for modem use?